A nightmarish adventure
by LadyNemisis24
Summary: Adventures with a necromancer. My character deserves it! And I suck at summaries and titles Rated PG for zombie gore. Chapter 5 now up!
1. Chapter I

_Diablo II and all its respective trademarks are property of Blizzard and Blizzard North. This character is based on one of mine in Nightmare level, so extra powers are the norm, not the exception. I've also taken a few liberties with the conversations; so if you're looking for verbatim renditions, look elsewhere. That being said, enjoy the show…_

I watched the sun set in a boiling mass of orange fire to the west. Darkness stole over the land, but even I felt a shiver of superstitious dread at this darkness. It felt foul; tainted. Things walked the land tonight, and there were not human. A sour smile twisted my mouth as I turned my glance to my travelling companions. _Obviously_, I thought dryly, _considering they're my minions_.

Turning my back to the sun, I headed towards the camp in the distance. I could just make out the archers ready and waiting just beyond the first barrier. With a sigh, I withdrew my power from my skeletal minions, watching them crumple into unconnected bone piles. It would not do to have to kill the Rogues on guard for attacking me.

An eerie groaning filled the air at that moment, causing me to fleetingly wonder if I'd dismissed my skeletons too soon, as I turned to face the noise. One of the Hungry Dead, I surmised, readying myself and my magics. My golem clanked forwards, then proceeded to flail at the undead creature. I watched passively, noting that this monster was far different from the others I'd encountered on my journey east.

With the others I'd faced, my golem had beaten them into the ground in seconds. This Hungry Dead didn't seem to be fazed. I sighed at the waste of magical energies, then waved my wand and cast Trang Oul's Teeth at the creature. They passed harmlessly through my golem and slammed into the undead. It didn't even blink. My temper rose, and I cast again. I managed to knock a rotting arm from its body. With the other, it continued to strike at my golem.

I gave vent to a snarl and pounded it with Trang Oul's Teeth in my fury. Finally it gave a death rattle and collapsed into pieces. I strode over to it, and toed it with my boot. I looked around, but my eyes were not good enough to pierce the darkness to see if it had companions. I couldn't help myself, but vented by booting the zombie's head as far away as I could. Then I turned and strode towards the Rogue encampment.

The archers looked at me and my clanking escort with worried expressions. Their bows were drawn, arrows on the string, but pointing at the ground.

"I would speak with whomever is in charge here," I said, voice muffled by the helm that covered my head and most of my face, fashioned to look like a skull.

"Beyond this gate, on the right, is where our High Priestess resides." She eyed my golem nervously. I muttered a curse under my breath. The bows swung up, arrows pointing at me.

"What did you say?" the other demanded.

"I called your partner here a provincial idiot. Now put those bows down before I'm forced to hurt you," I snapped, unfazed, the words to activate my bone armour on the tip of my tongue.

At the seconds' gesture, they lowered their bows. "A word of advice, spell caster," the first snarled. "Either speak clearly or don't speak at all."

"I shall endeavour to remember that," I sneered, and then strode past them into the camp. A few chickens clucked and scratched amongst the pathetic collection of tents and wagons within the barricade. A few Rogues wandered about, and every time their glances turned to me there was surprise and hostility in their eyes. I ignored them, heading for a small, lonely tent, hung with charms and cut off from the rest of the camp by a low stone wall. There was a woman, dressed in a hooded purple robe, sitting on a low stool in front of it, who looked up as I approached.

Her raking, penetrating gaze took in everything about me, from my well-worn boots, to my gold washed mail, to the fancy shield on my left arm. Her eyes lingered on my winged wand, before shifting to look at my face. I knew all she could see was my chin, and perhaps a flash of colour from my eyes, but still I was uneasy. This woman saw too much.

"I am Akara, High Priestess of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. It is not often we see your kind, Priest of Rathma."

I was relieved that she had given me my proper title. The common epithet for my calling was 'necromancer', which was unflattering at best. I inclined my head to her. "I've heard a great deal about you," I lied.

She gave a gentle, serene smile. "Somehow I doubt that. We are very cut off from the world out here." She rose to her feet and gracefully moved towards me. My nerves told me to be wary. My brain told me not to be so stupid. She stopped with barely a foot of space between us. "I know why you have come. The Sisterhood has guarded the gates to the east for centuries. When the Dark Wanderer came, and the Demoness Andariel took control of the Citadel…" she stopped, a look of incredible sorrow on her face. "I lost many Sisters. And each day brings more death." Akara looked away for a moment, perhaps regarding the remnants of her sisterhood. "Yet perhaps you can help us. In the wilderness that surrounds this camp lies a cave where many of the Sisters have died, and despite our best efforts it remains infested with foul creatures. Clear this den of evil, I implore you."

I slowly nodded with a sinking feeling. A cave that has claimed Rogue lives. Say what you will about the Sisterhood, they were efficient killers.

"You may camp anywhere within the barricade and be assured of your safety," the old woman continued. "You should make yourself known to Charsi the blacksmith, and to Kashya, who commands what few Sisters we have remaining." With that, she turned back to her tent. Just like that, I was being dismissed. My gauntleted hands clenched, and I forced myself to turn away, marshalling my anger. Obviously the old woman had many things on her mind, I thought uncharitably.

My golem kept up with me as I strode towards the fire at the centre of the camp. A skinny, bow-legged man stood on the other side of it, warming his hands. In the distance, I could see the glowing coals of a banked forge, and I was relieved that finding the blacksmith would be so easy.

"Greetings, traveller, my name is Warriv." His voice had a false tone of heartiness – I could hear the weariness underneath. "I am a merchant bound for the east, but I am imprisoned here by the danger that surrounds the Eastern Gate. But… Are you here to fight the evil?"

I gave a sardonic smile, hidden in the shadows of my helm. "Yes," I replied hollowly, "I am."

"Praise be!" he exclaimed. "Many have lost their lives, but you may yet survive. If you do, and cleanse the Rogue Citadel of evil, I will take you beyond the Eastern Gate with my caravan."

I inclined my head. "My thanks." I saw him glance at the golem, and then he spoke softly, almost to himself.

"I saw a fire creature like that once. The Priest who controlled it saved my caravan from a pack of bandits. Just stepped out of the wilderness with his creature at his side." He gave a little sigh, then met my eyes. "I tithe to Rathma, on his festival, in thanks for my life." I understood, at that moment. To most people, members of my faith were to be feared. It was refreshing that Warriv did not.

"I have been instructed to find Kashya, leader of the Rogues," I said. "Do you know where I may find her?"

Warriv gave a grin which made him look boyish. "Check near the gate at this time of day. She inspects the defences after the sun goes down."

"Again, my thanks." I started to turn, then paused, and a small smile quirked my lips. I gestured to the golem. "Stay," I commanded it. It froze mid-movement, its iron carapace gleaming in the firelight. "Keep Warriv company." This time the merchant laughed openly.

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It was not difficult after all to find Kashya. She was puffed up with her own importance, and was the only Rogue to wear mail and a shoulder drape, even on this chill evening. She glared at my armour and wand, and an expression of hate twisted her pretty features into an ugly mask. "A necromancer," she spat. "As if we haven't got enough troubles." Kashya glared at me, obviously awaiting a response. I simply stood, taking her measure. Hot tempered, surely, but there must be something about this woman that had held the Rogues together through so much.

She looked me up and down, and a nasty smile curled her lips. "Akara may be our spiritual leader, but I command the Rogues. You won't last a day out here, necromancer." A commotion started at the gate, and she broke off her sneering to stare. An obviously exhausted Sister staggered over the Kashya, waving off any who sought to help her.

"In the Burial Grounds… blasphemy… Blood Raven… raising an undead army!" she managed to gasp out, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Kashya lunged, catching her before she hit the ground, then gently lowering her the rest of the way. I could have sworn that there was a sparkle of tears in her eyes. They were gone when she looked up as another Rogue pounded towards her.

She slid to a stop, her expression grim. "Blaise is being taken to Akara. She probably won't make it." Kashya rose to her feet.

"Get Taryn to her bedroll, and ask Akara to check on her when she can. Double the guard. The scouts may have been followed. Move!" she commanded, and her attendant lieutenants scattered. "You wish to help, necromancer?" she snarled, turning to me. "Destroy this abomination. Then we'll trust you." She took off across the encampment, heading for Akara's tent, leaving me behind.

"I may just do that, woman, just to spite you," I murmured aloud as, with a soft hissing sound, rain began to fall. I padded across the compound again, this time heading for the glow of the banked forge as the last of the light faded from the sky. My tired muscles protested that I should leave it for the morning, but I ignored them. This one more thing, then I could sleep.

I could only assume this woman was Charsi, I thought, as I watched a powerfully-built female beat an iron bar that lay on her anvil. Her muscles rippled, shining wetly in the glow of her fire as she plunged the bar into a bucket of water beside her. She looked up, saw me, and gave a genuine smile. "Hi," she said, "I'm Charsi, the blacksmith." She stepped forwards, offering her soot-smudged hand.

With a fast flick, I shed my gauntlet and gingerly shook her hand. She didn't let me go, but stared piercingly at the ring on my finger. "That's one of the Doom rings, isn't it? I've read about them."

I disengaged myself a little less than tactfully. "So I'm told." She must have noticed my reticence, and smiled again.

"I fled the Citadel with my Sisters when Andariel took over, but even though I left my tools behind, I still have my skills. If you need anything, even advice, just let me know."

I nodded. "Thank you. Akara said I should make myself known to you. Now I can see why." Charsi gestured to an iron bound chest sitting near an earthen wall near the forge.

"I offer this to anyone who fights on our side. You can store any valuables you wish here. I'll protect them for you."

I frowned, more than a little confused. "Forgive me, but is everyone always this… nice? Well, aside from Kashya, that is."

"You have to understand something," Charsi said. "We've been relegated to the wilderness for the past eight months. I've held my Sisters in my arms as they died. The remaining Sisters have seen things, have killed things, much worse than any corpse botherer could ever be. You won't frighten them, Priest. They're beyond being scared." She paused. "And Kashya… is Kashya. She's the best fighter and general we have left. At Akara's command, she cannot mount an offensive to take back the Citadel. Akara says the Sisterhood has lost too many to kill even more attacking the Demoness. She's hoping-" Charsi broke off, considering. "She's hoping that someone else can kill Andariel, and give us our home back.

I thought about this. "Very well," I said finally, "then I may have need of your aid. But for now I will bid you good evening." I gave a slight, creaky bow, rain water cascading off my helm. Charsi waved a hand to her left.

"Pitch your tent over there. Even with the rain, the forge keeps my little corner of this camp warm."

I padded off, many things on my mind. I left the golem standing at the fire, and wrestled with my tent. I was soaked and miserable by the time I'd finished, my jaws gaping in frequent yawns. Crawling inside, I dragged off my sodden equipment and wrapped in in an oil cloth to dry and help prevent rust. My amulet and rings I left in place as I collapsed in my blankets with barely enough energy to cover myself. _Charsi was right_, I thought sleepily, _it is warmer_. With the sound of rain drumming on canvas, I slid into an exhausted sleep.

I did not dream.


	2. Chapter II

_And again, I don't own Diablo._

I was woken in the morning by the musical, rhythmical sound of someone pounding steel with steel. For a moment, I was completely disorientated as I stared at the cream-colored canvas above me. Incongruously enough, the smell of baking bread reached my nose, causing my stomach to rumble. Sitting up, I scrubbed at my face with both hands. Food. Food sounded fantastic.

After washing my hands and face, I pulled on most of my armour, but left my pack, helm and gauntlets behind. My white hair gleamed in the sun – I made a mental note to bathe in the river at the earliest opportunity. Then I followed my nose to the mess tent.

Jamming my wand into my belt, I stepped outside with a plate of good wheat bread and a bowl of last night's stew. After two weeks of travel rations, it was a feast. As the sun gently warmed my face, I sated my hunger, and considered my evening.

For the first time in weeks, months even, my sleep had been untroubled by the dreams that had been haunting me. No more visions of unnatural death, desecrated corpses or demonic visages. No inhuman whispering voices pleading for release. And during my waking hours, there was no subtle pull towards the east. I mopped the gravy from the bowl with the remainder of my bread and indulged in a sigh of pleasure. The sun was warming my muscles even under the mail shirt I wore, and felt incredibly good on my face. I knew enough to enjoy every moment I could in the sun. I would spend my time in darkness soon enough.

Perhaps half an hour later I collected my golem from beside the banked fire. I'd left what gold and gems I had in the chest at Charsi's forge to free up room in my pack, and it was light on my back as I moved. The Rogues on duty at the gate gave me suspicious looks as I sauntered past them into the wilderness.

The first creature to cross my path that day was a creature known as a Quill Rat. It was a common rodent, made more vicious by the evil magic that rode the land, but it still took my golem a few strikes to destroy it. As the golem backed off, I drew a deep breath, gathered myself, and cast upon the gory remains.

A skeletal mage arose from the Quill Rat's corpse. I had asked my masters once, why, even if the body was small, a fully grown skeleton could be produced from the corpse. It had brought me three house of kneeling on cold flagstone floors whilst being lectured on the nature of forming a magical image. It also taught me the folly of asking questions of that nature.

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Around midday, I stopped to rest under the spreading branches of a tree. Uncorking my water bottle, I idly watched my minion run around madly. Unlike my golem, my skeletal warriors and mages were constantly combat ready. My magic animated them, gave them the ability to fight, but they were not particularly clever. In fact, they were down right stupid. I had to steer them occasionally, running towards my enemies to get them to attack.

I was finishing my brief rest when a hoarse war cry split the air. I stiffened, trying to pinpoint the source. It had sounded like a woman's voice. Interested, I rose, stuffing my water bottle into my bulging pack and moving off towards the sound.

A blonde woman wielding a javelin was racing across an open area engaged in a running battle with a pack of Fallen Ones. Pesky little creatures, cowards alone, but in a pack they were difficult to kill. And made much more so, I noted, by the Shaman who walked at the back of the pack, bringing the dead back to life.

My anger was a hard knot in my chest. This was a perversion of Rathma's gifts! It could not be allowed to stand! I was running towards the howling pack almost before I knew what I was doing. My skeletons, swifter than I, over took me. They crashed into the flank of the Fallen Ones with a great crash, and as I began to cast Trang Oul's Teeth, I noted the woman had spun, and, seeing that the demons were now occupied with me, ignored her running battle to plant her feet and cast her javelins with deadly accuracy.

Fury still rode me as I concentrated my energies on killing the Shaman. His staff made him an easy target, but my spell made me one as well. He began to lob fireballs at me, most of which splashed against my bone armour protection spell. One did managed to hit me, but I was so deep in my anger that I scarcely noticed. Finally my golem broke through the demon ranks, and added his fists to my spell. The Shaman cried out, then died. The sudden silence was eerie. The woman eyed my skeletons, who began their endless movement once again as I yanked a healing potion from my belt. It was only when the heat of battle wore off that I felt the pain of my wounds.

As I drained the small bottle, I watched the blonde venture closer. "I suppose I should thank you," she said. I stared at her for a long moment.

"No," I said at last. Looking at her blonde perfection, I felt a stab of loathing. She'd turn and run at any minute. Feeling much better, I began to pillage the bodies, recovering a few potions and a sword that I knew to be magical from the runes on the blade. She continued to stare at me from a distance, moving away when any of my minions came near. As I rose to my feet, I realised that it would be a bother to walk back to the encampment, so I readied a portal scroll. And I also realised that the woman was still standing there, a considering expression on her face.

Abruptly, she spoke. "Where have you come from?"

"The encampment of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye." I was being brusque, I knew. I was simply waiting for her to finally go away. I saw her nod, and her look was calculating. "Goodbye," I added, fixing the encampment in my mind and murmuring the words from the scroll. An oval of crackling blue energy appeared in front of me, and, shouldering my pack, I stepped through. There was a moment of spinning disorientation, then I stumbled into the Rogue encampment. Stepping lively, I moved away from the portal to allow my minions through. And, it seemed, my companion from the field. With a sigh, I ignored her and headed for Charsi. I also ignored the bad looks my minions were receiving from trader and Rogue alike. What did I care for their feelings?

Charsi and I haggled for a while over prices, but I realised just how lucky I'd been in my day's haul. I had found field plate that had been clearly magical, and it was revealed now that it was a unique creation, built light yet incredibly strong, and imbued with the power to increase my own magical strength.

I returned to my tent and shed my mail, and felt immeasurably better when I had donned the plate. It was wrought in black, and seemed to absorb the light, not reflect it. Resettling my helm and pack, I left my tent, and almost walked into the woman from the field. "What?" I demanded abruptly.

"You don't have to be so rude," she snapped back. I distained to answer that and stood waiting, frowning at her. She sighed through her nose. "Kashya told me. About the graveyard. I want… I want you to come with me, to kill this Blood Raven. We'll share the spoils equally."

I considered this. The woman looked to be a capable warrior, why did she want an escort? There was a fast way to find out. "Very well. But first things first," I said. "There is a cave system inhabited by monsters nearby. Help me clean that out."

:"Done," she replied. I would be able to test her mettle in that confined environment. We made for the portal, and I gave a sardonic smile and a bow.

"After you," I said, waving her forwards. She nodded, and proceeded me through. I waited long enough to make her sweat, then stepped through behind her. She was standing on the other side, shifting from foot to foot, but did not seem nervous. I glided to my left, and my minions boiled out of the portal in my wake. It was only when she laid eyes on the minions that she became nervous. Constructs of steel and bone, that was all they were – why should she be nervous? I swallowed a nasty smile and fell in beside her as we began to walk.

"Do you have a name, necromancer?' she asked, sounding genuinely interested. "I'm Kyleea." I gave her a sidelong look. Was she for real? "I can't just yell, 'hey, necro!'," she added with a smile. She seemed determined to get along with me. It would pass the first time she saw me reanimate the dead.

"You may call me Priest. Those of my calling do not give our names lightly." _Or at all_, I thought to myself.

"I see," she replied. "Well, where are you from?" she continued, the blithely began to tell me about her own childhood. I walked in silence, listening to her babble. When she didn't look like she'd be done any time soon, I decided to interrupt.

"Do you ever shut up?" I demanded, exasperated.

She blinked. "If we're going to be travelling together, we should get to know each other. Just because you're a grump, doesn't mean I can't try to get to know you."

A grump?! Was she innocent or merely stupid? "What do you know about my kind, Kyleea?" Her name tasted strange in my mouth.

"You can bring the dead back to life. The name of your god is Rathma. That's about it," she admitted.

"I'm a necromancer. I can animate dead flesh and cast curses. I have minions to do my bidding. My people are objects of fear, even thought we do naught but maintain the balance of nature.: I paused, took a breath, and realised that she was looking at me oddly. I'd stopped walking whilst I ranted. I shook myself, then started walking again.

"So obviously your people aren't very well liked." A strange smile quirked her lips, and the one hand that didn't hold a javelin rose to rub her shoulder. "I can understand that."

I stopped again, staring hard at her. "Somehow, I really doubt that."

"I was stoned out of a town once. The men didn't want their women folk contaminated by me and my ideals." She shrugged. "Villagers are the same no matter where you go. Stupid and provincial." She began to walk again, and this time I kept up. I let the silence close around us for a moment.

"My name is Necrum," I admitted.

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We stood at the mouth of the cave. Inhuman snarls and growls echoed faintly from within.

"D'you think this could be the den of evil?' Kyleea asked rhetorically. I simply looked at her, then stepped into the darkness, my minions trailing. It went a little way back, then narrowed to a hole just big enough for one person to move through.

"After you," Kyleea grinned with a bow. I didn't dignify that with an answer either, and stepped through the hole into the dark beyond. My golem had a little difficulty with it, but the skeletons piled through easily. Kyleea brought up the rear as we stepped into darkness.

The sounds of the creatures drifted around us, echoing eerily from the stone walls. Water dripped somewhere far off, and the air was filled with the must stench of mould and fungus. There was also a smell that I had come to associate with monsters – the smell of evil; old blood, demon dung, and rotten flesh.

Kyleea wrinkled her nose. "Yuck," she said flatly. "Horrible creatures in an enclosed space." Her voice echoed in the silence, to be answered by a snarling bellow. My bone armour snapped into place around me and began to whirl. "Great," she added, "bring on the monsters," as she settled into her stance, javelin ready to cast, as my minions spread out.

I considered risk versus reward, then cast a wide spray of Trang Oul's Teeth towards the noises. Their light revealed shambling beasts; bipedal, dark furred, with large muzzles and heads crowned by a pair of twisted horns. A shuffling sound behind them were three zombies, staggering towards us and making soft moaning sounds.

My minions raced into battle as Kyleea made her first cast, her javelin sticking into the chest of the larger of the beasts with a meaty sounding 'thunk'. I cast Trang Oul's Teeth out again. My golem finally engaged the lead beast as the skeletons spread out. Watching Kyleea continue to cast javelins, I allowed my wand to droop in my right hand as I tucked my left thumb into my belt. The minions were doing just fine. Let her waste ammunition, I thought.

Obviously Kyleea was of a like mind. The enemy were fought to a stand still by the agile skeletons, so she lowered the javelin she held. In a conversational voice, she said, "They're handy to have around."

I nodded, then spoke over the noise of breaking bone, crashing steel, and bellowing beasts. "Against a limited number of stupid enemies, yes, they are. Against an enemy with even slight intelligence, they are easily avoided."

We waited for perhaps five minutes for the last zombie to fall. The creatures had spilled some gold and a few potions when they'd died, the remains of poor adventurers they'd eaten, no doubt. Kyleea and I picked up what ever we could carry, agreeing to split the profits later. With my minions running around senselessly, we ventured on.

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We had a bad moment when we turned a corner and walked into a major encampment of Fallen Ones. My skeletons went berserk, but as fast as they killed the enemy, the two Shamans brought them back to life. Mastering my rage, I pointed out the one on the left to Kyleea and shouted, "The other one's mine!"

I raced through the struggling bodies to dins a vantage point to launch an attack. I allowed righteous indignation to fill me. _How dare those demons pervert Rathma's gifts?_ Finding a suitable spot from which to wage war, I concentrated my energy. _No wide spray this time_, I thought, and cast Bone Spear, a deadly spike that dealt much damage, but since I did not know it well, drained my magical energies at a fearsome rate.

It took six bone spears to kill the Shaman. During my attacks, I had to avoid Fallen Ones and fireballs. By the time the cavern was quiet, my bone shield was all but gone. Greedily, I emptied a healing potion and looked around.

One of my skeletons had dissolved into its component parts during the fight. Kyleea had fared better that I – she'd come through with nary a scratch. She looked across at me with what I could have sworn was an expression of concern. I looked away, uncorking a potion of mana and downing it whilst I examined out haul.

A few magical items; and axe and a sword, a ring, a few other odds and ends, and a huge pile of gold. Kyleea bent and began to shovel it into her pack. "Do you think they kept it because it shines?" she mused aloud. I gave a one shoulder shrug.

"Who knows how a monster's mind works?" I stretched out my muscles and let loose a tension yawn. There was a scuffling sound behind us, and a Fallen One dived from a hiding place and lunged towards us. Almost casually, Kyleea and I cast at the same time.

Her javelin impaled the creature at the same time my spell did. It stiffened, then collapsed to the rocky floor, javelin piercing its stomach, head misshapen from my strike. The floor shook, and a deep musical tone sounded. Kyleea and I looked at each other in awe as pieces of the ceiling fell in, flooding the dark cave with light.

"You think we got them all?" she asked me with a saucy grin.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.


	3. Chapter III

_An update, an update at last!!! I don't own Diablo, mores the pity, as I'd love something that splashes pink lightening as a guard dog._

Lugging out heavy packs, we headed for the mouth of the cave. The sun was setting in a blaze of glory as we stepped out - we'd spent far longer than I'd thought in the darkness. Kyleea gave a massive yawn. "I don't know about you, Necrum, but I'm ready to call it a night." She rummaged in her pack and came up with a blue-edged scroll. "My turn," she added, and cast the spell. "See you on the other side," she said cheerfully, then stepped through the burning blue oval.

Waving one hand, I withdrew my power from my skeletal minions. They crumpled to the earth, and I sighed. Once again, I thought wistfully of how good it would be to be accepted for myself, for all my magics. I allowed myself one last triumphant look at the cave, then stepped through the portal, bracing myself for the disorientation.

To my surprise, Kyleea was waiting for me in the encampment when I stepped out. She caught my arm and gestured excitedly. "They know!" she exclaimed. "They said there was a light in the sky, and a sound. Akara wants to see us." She began to tug me in the direction of the old priestess' tent.

Frowning, I managed to shake her off. "I should feel privileged, should I not?" I asked in a sneering voice. Kyleea looked shocked.

"But... Akara wants to see us," she repeated.

I bit down on a sigh. I was tired and a little dizzy. "Very well," I said wearily, "I can see I'll get no reprieve from you until I visit with her." I heard Kyleea sigh. Then, very softly and swiftly, she spoke near my ear.

"I understand the need for one such as yourself to have a barrier in place among the public. But if you act this way with me tomorrow, gods help you." She stalked away, tossing her blonde pony tail and heading for Akara's tent. I stood, blinking in surprise for a moment, shocked at her insight. But perhaps she knew about public personae as well. I shrugged it off, and followed after, golem clanking at my heel.

Akara stood to greet us, a smile on her face. "You bring me hope," she said in her soft voice, "and no words are enough to thank you for that." She gave a little frown, obviously thinking. "So your reward shall be this. I shall use my arts to train you further in a skill of your choice."

Kyleea's jaw dropped at the offer, and even I found myself impressed. Skills were hard won, after much suffering, yet she offered to drop knowledge into our minds and bodies with no effort.

"I'd like to sleep on my choice, if I may," Kyleea said in a subdued voice. Akara nodded.

"As you wish. Priest?"

There was nothing to weigh up. "I use too much of my magical energy when casting Bone Spear. If I am to gain a skill, let me increase my prowess at that."

"Very well," she replied, and held out one hand. There was a moment of confusion as I just looked at her. There was laughter in her voice when she spoke again. "To cast the spell I have to touch you," she said. I nodded, again biting down a sigh, and stripped off a gauntlet, hesitantly extending my own hand. She grabbed me in a surprisingly strong grip and made a sign with her other hand. "Thy will be done," she intoned. All of a sudden, my ears rang and my vision swam. I staggered, and ended up sitting on the wall that separated her from the rest of the camp to prevent myself crashing to the ground. My breathing was ragged, and I looked at the old woman with something akin to terror.

The new knowledge finally settled into my mind, but not without a great deal of discomfort on my part. I drew a deep, shuddering breath once I felt as if I wouldn't shame myself and either pass out or throw up, and managed speech. "My thanks," I croaked.

"Oh, and we've got some stuff to sell, too," Kyleea chipped in, unslinging her pack. With the way I was feeling, it was a relief to unburden myself. I let Kyleea do the bargaining, and simply took my half of the gold when she was done. With the considerable amount of gold clanking at the bottom of the pack, my tent seemed half a world away, but somehow I managed to reach it. I peeled off my armor and under padding, but I had not the energy to stow it. My last thought was a sincere wish to never, _ever,_ learn a skill through that method again.

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I was awakened in the morning by shouts and the sound of running feet, and by Kyleea shouting, "Priest, wake up!" with urgency and fear in her voice. Bleary eyed, stumbling, I dragged on the first item my hands encountered from my clothing pile and staggered into the dawn light.

The Amazonian warrior stood stock-still, staring at me. "What is so important?" I yawned. Kyleea continued to stare. "What?" I demanded.

"You're a girl!" she blurted. I looked down. I was wearing a white linen shift that covered me to mid-thigh, and under it's draping fabric, my small breasts and the slight swell of my hips were clearly defined. I scrubbed a hand over my face. I wasn't awake enough to care.

"So?" I demanded with another yawn.

"But I thought they were all men!"

"It's better for people to think that way. It makes our lives easier." I shifted, feeling the earth between my bare toes. "Now are you going to tell me why you woke me, or am I going back to bed?"

"Oh. Yes." She gave herself a shake. "There was an attack on the gates early this morning. Kashya wants everyone to meet by the fire." Kyleea paused. "She thinks someone called the monsters here."

I sighed. "No prizes for guessing whom she's picked as a scapegoat." As I turned back to my tent to dress, I spoke over my shoulder. "Thank you for telling me. No one else would have dared."

After splashing my face with water, I felt a lot more awake. Grateful for the plate that was lighter than my mail, I dressed, but still shivered at the steels' cold touch. On this morning, I did pull on my gauntlets and tucked the strap of my helm into my belt. Girded for war, I stepped out into the camp.

The Sisters glared at me with increased hostility, some of them making a point of fingering their weapons as I strode by. White hair gleaming in the early morning sun, I was easily visible from a distance as I stepped towards the fire. I stopped beside Warriv, my golem shifting around to clank gently behind me as I nodded to him in greeting. Akara and Kyleea arrived at the same time, and I made eye contact with the Amazon as she stepped up beside me. Then Kashya walked into the circle, and stood opposite me on the other side of the fire.

She looked around loftily, assessing those of her troops that were taking up positions. After a few moments of noting that all were present, she abandoned pretense and locked eyes with me. "There was an attack on the gate this morning," she announced, her voice strident. "We fought them off, but it was easy to see they were being called here by someone. That someone told them where to attack."

I arched an eyebrow and broke in, sick of the woman's ranting. "Aye, this Blood Raven you've been talking about." She blinked, and her weathered face creased into the blackest scowl I'd yet seen. People began to talk and murmur to each other, her hold over them broken. I allowed a cold, derisive smile to curl my lips as I looked her over, but this woman was far from finished.

Kashya raised her voice over the talk. "Even corrupted," she snapped, "Blood Raven would have nothing to do with attacking this place. She isn't stupid." I watched her shoulders and chest swell with her arrogance. "Someone led the monsters here." My hand tightened around the wand in my belt as my own anger grew. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Akara beat me to it.

"It is a simple matter to find the traitor, if there is one, Sister," she said, coming forward with a smile on her face. Her fingers twitched, and her lips moved soundlessly for a moment. A brilliant beam of bright white light speared the clouds above her hands, then disintegrated into a shower of sparks, which tumbled down to land on the people gathered around the fire pit. The taste of tin filled my mouth as her power touched me, and I fought back a shudder as I forced my magics back down. I might not trust Akara or her people, but I knew she'd not be as stupid as to attack an enemy mage with nothing more than firefly sparks.

Akara paced around the fire, asking the same question again and again. "Did you cause or orchestrate the attack upon this camp this morning?" With every answer, a white aura blazed into being around the questioned, showing they spoke the truth. When she came to me, I could have sworn she winked as she spoke.

"Did you cause or orchestrate the attack upon this camp this morning?" My eyes were locked with Kashya's as I spoke.

"No, I did not." The light flashed into being, white and pure, leaving me blinking. Aksar asked the same question of Kyleea, and received the same answer, before moving further around the fire. Kashya's face was pinched and angry, as, as the older woman passed her once more, her hand shot out, grabbing the priestess' arm. Fast, furious, and almost silent words were exchanged, and Kyleea and I shared a glance..I gave her both a shrug and a slight, wicked smile. What did I care that they were fighting?

Kyleea stomped forwards, her voice ringing out. "Enough of this! Aren't we in enough demon dung as it is without fighting amongst ourselves?" She turned a slow circle, daring the Rogues to meet her eyes. One by one, they looked away. "I understand the pressure you're under, to regain the Citadel and protect those who look to you, but..." She paused, then glanced at me. "We are your best hope. Remember this. Today we go to face Blood Raven, and begin to root out this infection that seeks to kill us all." There was a rumble of approval that turned into a roar as the people cheered her. The only silent ones in the crowd were Kashya and myself. In that moment, we shared a look. Her eyes spoke of her hate and fear, so in return I gave her my contempt and anger. She spun on her heel and yelled the order for the Sisters to fall in, and marched away from the fire with her nose in the air.

I turned my regard back to Kyleea, to see her grinning at me in an impish manner. "Fine words," I drawled, "but I do not think these people can look at me and see hope." Her grin widened.

"You never know, my fine Priest," she replied, slipping her arm through mine. "I've found hope in some surprising places." I blinked at her for a moment, and that was when Akara stepped close to us and raised a hand.

"Be cautious today, my children," she said, moving her hand and making the ritual blessing for the Sightless Eye over us. "May the Eye guide your steps and watch your path." With that, she moved away, speaking with Warriv as if it were a normal day.

I looked after Akara, then at Kyleea, my puzzlement clear to see. Kyleea laughed. "You're not used to it, are you?" I blinked.

"What?" I asked, even more confused. Her general saw me as a threat, but the old woman had blessed me with the most powerful sign her religion had. "Used to what?"

The grin was back. "People caring. Akara backed you up - she believes in you." We walked back through the camp to our tents. "She believes in me, too," the warrior added.

"Did she tell you this?" I spoke with my head in my tent as I rummaged for my pack.

"Not in so many words," she replied, her voice muffled by the canvas of her own tent, "but I can tell." Kyleea straightened, slipping her pack onto her back. "Trust me in this."

I gave a little shrug, swinging my own pack up and dismissing the whole issue. "I care not for the opinions of the Sisters." I paused. "But I admit it will make my time here more easy." With that, we headed for the portal she'd called up yesterday evening.

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I stopped, finally catching my breath. We'd just been engaged in a running fight, after stumbling across not one but two groups of Fallen Ones, each with a guiding, intelligent demon providing them more strength and cleverness. I spread my fingers, staring at them in surprise as I watched them shake, and watching with fascination as a single, scarlet drop traced its way down the back of my gauntlet and fell from my left forefinger.

"Necrum?" It sounded like Kyleea's voice was coming from leagues away, but when I turned, she was standing beside me. I looked at her and blinked slowly. She shoved a small blue bottle into my hand. "Drink it. Now."

After consuming the mana potion, my shakes subsided, and I gave the Amazon a slight smile. "I am not at my best when my magic runs low," I admitted. She returned a saucy smile.

"So I noticed. Tell me, mage, is there ever a time when you are completely at ease?" she bantered.

"When I speak to Rathma," I returned absently, then winced and pulled a healing potion from my pack. Kyleea opened her mouth, then closed it again, finally shaking her head.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Priest?" She looked around, a frown on her face. "It was never like this as Tristram."

"Tristram?" I asked, distracted as I picked up items from the ground.

"How much do you know about..." she stopped, looked around again, then lowered her voice. "Diablo. The Lord of Terror." I lifted my head at the tone in her voice, a mixture of fear and pain. Diablo. It rang in my mind, a name of power. The dry voice of my theology lecturer came to me, a dim, childhood memory.

"He is one of the Prime Evils, imprisoned within a Soul Stone after a great war between good and evil." I gave a little shrug. "I must confess, I spent a lot of time sleeping during my foreign theology lessons."

"Diablo, Mephisto and Ba'al make up the Three Prime Evils." The Amazon gave a shiver, then licked dry lips. "I was in a town called Tristram. I..." Kyleea stopped, shook her head. "I cannot speak of it, even now, and I wasn't even there when... When the real danger started. But I was lost within the earth for days." She waved a javelin at the sky, and gave a laugh that was close to a sob. "At least here I can see the sky." She turned a pair of anguished eyes to me. "I ran away, Priest. I ran in terror from the power that was beneath Tristram. And I can feel it again. Towards the east." She shuddered convulsively, reaching up to grip her own arms as she turned away from the sun, staring off into the distance towards the east.

Hesitant, I took a step towards her. I knew I had to find the right words. "I do not know what you have suffered, but I, too, have felt this pull towards..." I stopped, shifted. "But now I am here, and doing this... I was having nightmares, and I heard voices speaking my name. Calling to me. This is something I must do, and this is the place where I must be." I took another step in her direction.

The blonde woman turned, and I was shocked to see tears sparkling in her eyes. Suddenly she was on me, her arms about my neck, sobbing into my armored shoulder. Awkwardly, I raised my hand to pat her hair. " 'twill be alright. You will see." I gave a wry smile. "Trust me in this." That won me a teary laugh.

Kyleea stepped back, scrubbed twice at her eyes, and another grin crossed her face. "I knew you would stay with me to the end. I knew it."

We spoke little more that day, but moved in tandem, stalking with precision. We had to make frequent trips back to the encampment, and cast dark looks at each other at every turn. We saw the signs of Blood Raven's handiwork everywhere, from corrupted Rogues, to the bodies of dead Sisters. Others, too, had lost their lives in the wilderness, leaving plentiful sign behind them. Some had unfortunately been eaten, their bones and possessions spilling from the corpses of the monsters the Amazon and I killed.

The sun was falling behind the hills to the west when we caught sight of the burial grounds. Kyleea paused, then grinned. "I'm almost glad. It wouldn't seem right, doing this in sunlight." She pulled a pair of potions, tossing one to me. The contents were a glowing powder that she shook over herself, and then she too began to glow. I followed suit, more for Kyleea's sake than mine. I'd always been able to see very well in the dark.

I looked about, then stepped through my minions to enter the wide area that contained the fenced off burial grounds. I paused for a moment. Something was not right. Something moved to my left. A corrupted Rogue stepped out calmly, drawing her bow and aiming at me. I threw myself backwards as the arrow whined past my face. "Fall back! Ambush!" I yelled, moving backwards at a half crouch, getting back into the passage that separated the burial grounds from the other territory. Kyleea's voice called to me.

"They're behind us!" Ducking and weaving through the sudden hail storm of arrows, I made my way to her. We stood back to back, fending off what came at us as my minions attacked.

"Set up," I snarled. "They knew we were coming." She cast, sending a javelin through another corrupted Rogue as I sent out a spread of Trang-Oul's Teeth.

"We have to kill Blood Raven," she said, knocking an arrow out of the air with lightning speed. "It will leave them leaderless." I snapped a nod, casting Bone Spear at a Fallen One.

"We have to get them all in one place. If we stay here, we'll be slaughtered." My voice was grim.

"You have to run into the Burial Grounds. Your guys will follow you. I'll protect the rear." I glanced at her, then nodded. It was the logical thing to do. We would still be trapped, but we'd still have more room to move than in this narrow corridor of stone. Taking a deep breath, I ran back towards the Burial Grounds, keeping to the wall. A few of the minions ran ahead, chopping at the enemy as the dead shambled towards them, out of the fenced grounds and into the gap. I took a few precious seconds, closing my eyes and focusing my energies. I felt the magic build to a roaring crescendo in my head as I opened my eyes and stepped forwards. The 'guys' had given me a choice of targets. Excellent.

Lifting one arm, I sent a prayer hurtling into the sky. A bolt of light answered as a deep bell tone sounded in my head. "My Lord," I whispered, my knees growing weak as the surge of power swept through me.

The rotting zombie on the ground shivered, then stirred, staggered to its feet and turned. It began to mindlessly attack its former comrades. I felt my ties to my other creatures weaken, then shift as they balanced out. I looked beyond the fight for the corridor, and for a moment, saw a woman on the other side of the graveyard.

She smiled when she saw me, and tipped her head in salute, one corpse raiser to another. Rage bubbled in my blood as I deliberately raised my hand and called again, Reviving another of the enemy without even looking. I began to move forwards, shooting out the magical spears that did no harm to my allies, but smashed into my foes. The woman moved out of sight, and I felt her power surge, different, but still as strong and perhaps even stronger than mine. I darted forwards as my minions surged, breaking through the line.

I moved to put my back to the wall once more, at the very end of the corridor. The Burial Grounds were crawling with the living dead, enough to call to my power and make a shiver run down my spine. My armor grated against the stone as I slid along and peered out. I noted Kyleea in position, fending off Fallen Ones. I cast a spear in her direction for luck, then lunged past the break in the wall. I stepped to my left, behind a skeletal minion, spraying spears about myself to clear my path. The corrupted Rogues fell back in good order as the rest of my minions came boiling through the gap, but the zombies continued to attack, moaning and clawing. My own creatures, darker in color than their former allies, had suffered even more terrible wounds as they dug a path through the line, but still they continued to fight, my will and the will of my Lord Rathma filling them.

My skeletal minions went berserk, attacking anything in their paths. I saw one take a swing at a rock with its axe before it's magical senses woke and told it that the the rock was not a threat. Bolts of lightening, globs of glowing green poison and balls of fire were hurled by my skeletal magi, to good effect, as they caused the Rogue archers to take cover behind the head stones. Again I felt Blood Raven's power surge as she called the body of another Rogue back from her deserved rest. I bared my teeth, drew a mana potion and downed it, refilling my reserves. "For Rathma!" I screamed, then hurled myself towards the fight.

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Kyleea found me sitting with my back to a head stone when the fighting was done. I was dancing a coin across the knuckles of my right hand, watching it glitter in the moonlight. My helm was sitting on the stones by my side, as was my shield and wand.

"Necrum!" Her voice was exuberant, and why not? We had prevailed. Blood Raven was dead, the Burial Ground cleansed of her evil. "I've got everything I can carry. We should head back to the encampment and give everyone the good news." As she got closer, she slowed down. "Necrum?" She stopped a little distance from me, and cocked her head. "Are you alright?" I nodded slightly. Kyleea dropped to a crouch, then to one knee. "Do you want to talk about it?" I raised my eyes to meet hers, dark pools in the moonlight glowing on the stones.

"Every Rogue that Blood Raven brought back was an abomination in the eyes of my Lord Rathma. She was evil to the core. She corrupted the balance eternal." I lowered my eyes to the coin, passing it under my hand as I struggled to find the words. "Yet I find myself feeling... pity for her. I do not regret that we destroyed her, and yet... It is so _wasteful_..." I shook my head, putting the coin in my pouch and rising to my feet. A grimace twisted my mouth. "I am not so worldly that I can shrug off the slaughter we did today. We have gained much in the way of treasure, and it will supply us for quite some time, but I am not easy with it." I shook my head again. "Perhaps I am not cut out for this adventuring. We are restoring my Lord's balance, but at a bloody cost." Kyleea remained on one knee, looking up at me. Finally she spoke.

"You are feeling guilty because of the blood on your hands. It is understandable." Then her tone changed. "But it is not acceptable." Shooting to her feet, she grabbed the shoulder plates of my armor and shook me with each word. "We. Kill. Monsters. We do it to keep people, real, live people, safe. Feel pity for the woman Blood Raven was before she was corrupted. But not for the thing that lies on the ground over there. That thing was evil, and would have killed you, me, all the Sisters, everyone it could get its hands on." She released me so suddenly that I staggered. "But if you want to wallow in self pity because you killed a few monsters, go right ahead. Just don't expect me to join you." My eyes narrowed.

"I am not wallowing." It came out as a growl. "And it was more than a few." My eyes roved over the Grounds once more, taking in the corpses scattered around. Kyleea snorted, then hitched her pack up once more. An idea struck me, and I reached out to gently move her aside. I walked to the corpse of Blood Raven, and stood for a moment, looking down at it.

The woman she had been was clear to my eyes, beneath the blood and mangled flesh. She was stocky, yet strong, with short brown hair and a broad mouth, laugh lines at the corners of her open, glazed eyes. I knelt beside her, and, after a moment of tugging and a muttered apology, I managed to remove the signet from her hand. Placing it in my pouch, I composed myself, then reached beneath my armor and pressed my fingers to the markings above my heart that named me as one of Rathma's own.

I closed my eyes and reached out. For a moment, nothing happened, and I trembled on the verge of panic. Then the warmth of Rathma's Presence filled me. I felt His love, and His compassion, surround me and comfort me, like the arms of a mother. Images tumbled from my mind, the slaughter of the day, my pity and sorrow for Blood Raven, even Kashya's aborted accusation of that morning. Finally I stopped, and for a heartbeat there was nothing but the feel of Rathma's Presence.

_- Be at peace, child of My heart, -_ the awesome Voice said softly. _- You would do well to listen to the Amazon. Her counsel is sound. You attach no sin to yourself in killing these creatures that upset My balance in the world. Spend your treasures with an easy heart and a good will, knowing that you earned them. -_

_- A favor, my Lord? - _ I asked after a moment of considering his words. _- I do not like to leave this holy place as it is. It seems to me a desecration of the peace that it should symbolize. - _ The sound of Rathma's laughter and His assent filled my heart with joy, and I opened my eyes to see the corpses melt into the ground, leaving not even a splash of blood behind.

_- Kindly asked and gladly given, - _ the Voice said. _ - Remember that I love you, child of My heart, and be at peace. - _ With that, the Presence faded to the normal background level that I always carried with me, and I felt a smile come to my face as peace swept through me.

"What was that?" Kyleea demanded. "One minute there were bodies were everywhere, the next..." She shook her head in wonder. I rose, my smile still in place.

"That was the kindness of Rathma," I said simply. Kyleea peered at my face, then grunted.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you spoke about talking to your god." I nodded to her.

"He has set my mind and my heart at ease," I responded. "I feel at peace." My smile changed a little. "And I'm sure it will remain with me at least until I lay eyes on Kashya again." Kyleea gave a startled bark of laughter.

"Kindness and Rathma... Sorry, but I don't normally associate the two." I looked at her with genuine surprise.

"Why ever not?"

Kyleea shrugged uncomfortably. "He's a god of death. Death just never seemed very kind to me." I nodded in understanding.

"Rathma is Death, this is true. But for someone suffering a long, slow illness that is killing them, is not Death a kindness? When one has grown old and feeble, is not Death welcome?" I blinked, then gave a sheepish smile. "My apologies. I did not mean to preach. It's… An occupational hazard." I let it rest there, and, after a beat, spoke again. "Did you not say that your pack was full? I still have room in mine."

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I cast the portal spell, and Kyleea followed me through this time. I caught her elbow when she would have broken for the tents, and murmured to her to stay put and watch. Then I threw my shoulders back, lifted my chin, and stalked to Kashya. I threw the ring at her from perhaps three meters away, and she almost fumbled the catch in the torchlight. Her fingers, calloused as they were, felt the raised device on the face of the ring, and her mouth opened, her teeth gleaming oddly white.

"Blood Raven is destroyed." I forced my voice flat, ignoring the urge to gloat, and feeling a little of my serenity peel away. "Kyleea and I have made your Burial Grounds secure." The general's eyes shifted past me as her mouth clamped shut. All she did was nod, then she turned away. Triumph surged in me, a childish thing, and I could not stop myself calling out to her as she walked away, holding Blood Raven's ring. "Don't bother thanking _me._ But I will be most upset if you do not thank Kyleea for risking _her_ life to end _your_ problem." Kashya's back grew even more stiff as she stalked into her tent, and I just knew she wished she had a door she could slam. My grin was vicious.

"Petty, Priest, really petty." I smirked at the Amazon as she frowned at me.

"What goes around comes around, Kyleea." My tone was as innocent as I could make it, but I spoiled the impression by adding, "I've wanted to do that since I got here." Kyleea shook her head.

"From what I've heard, Kashya and the woman who became Blood Raven were... close. She may have been a threat to the Sisters here, but I don't think Kashya's going to want to thank me for destroying what was left of her... friend." I looked at the blonde woman and the expression on her face, and shook my own head.

"Lover, Kyleea. You can say the word. It won't burn me." I returned my regard to Kashya's tent, my smile falling. "I didn't know about the two of them." I paused. "But, with the way that woman has treated me since I arrived here, I find myself hard pressed to care." Turning towards the tents, I rubbed my hands in anticipation, and added, "Now to find Charsi, empty my pack, have a bath, and eat a meal. In that order." Leaving Kyleea to stare after me, I headed for the forge.


	4. Chapter IV

_New Years resolution - there will not be more than one month between updates. Promise. :) And what is it with this demand for hot lesbian action? She's a priest, for goodness sake - and, as commented by one astute reader, she's really not what you would call a 'looker', being easily confused as a man and all. :D Although, I will make this promise - if I get 10 individual reviews asking for a tryst between Kyleea and Necrum, I'll do my best to make it happen. What the fans want, the fans do get. :D - LN._

The positions of the moon and stars told me it was nearing midnight when I came back to the camp from the river. My white hair was soaked and heavy, but clean for the first time in what felt like forever. I had even washed some of my garments, as Charsi had given me permission to hang them about the forge to dry them. I couldn't wash my under-armor padding however, as that would take about three days to dry, even with the assistance of the heat from the forge.

Clean, well fed and content, I moved back to my tent to find Kyleea waiting for me. I smiled at her. "Welcome to my... tent." I pulled back the flaps to let the cool night air in, and sank cross legged to the mat just inside. "What can I do for you?" Kyleea hunkered down beside me.

"I thought you'd want to know that Kashya has formally thanked me for my efforts in destroying Blood Raven." My smile grew a nasty edge as I nodded. "And she has offered to let us hire out Rogues to take with us." I sucked in my breath.

"No," I said instantly. "They'll be killed." Kyleea shook her head.

"They've seen war, Necrum, and they've seen the Demoness Andariel," she answered. "They're tougher than you think. And we can make them tougher." I blinked, surprised. "If we take them with us, in pairs, how much better do you think they'll get? How much more able will they be to defend themselves and their people?" She shifted, appeal in her eyes. "How can we turn them down?" I sighed, then delved through my travel pack, finally coming up with my hair brush. As I began to pull it through my white hair, Kyleea shifted again. "Well? I don't want to bring them along if they'll be a point of contention," she said, an edge of irritation in her voice.

"I can see that you've set yourself upon this course and cannot be dissuaded. Very well. But these Sisters will be your responsibility, understand?" Surprisingly, she laughed.

"As I thought." She patted my shoulder and rose, then paused. "Just... If they die, don't..." It was then that I laughed, gathering the gist of her thoughts.

"I won't turn them into minions. Satisfied?" Kyleea smiled down at me, and nodded. "Then get yourself some sleep, Amazon. Your baby sitting duties start at sunrise." With another laugh and a wave, she took off, wandering over to her own tent. I shook my head again, then crawled further into my tent, pulling the flaps down and granting myself a modicum of privacy. _Babysitting._ I gave a snort. _My_ _Lord, please don't let me be the one who gets them killed._ With that I fell asleep.

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The two who joined us that first morning were Oriel and Tara, actual blood related sisters, as well as being Sisters of the Sightless Eye. They were almost identical, with short reddish hair bound back in pony tails, slender yet strong bodies, red leather armor and bows that were as individual as the sisters themselves. Tara had a set of intricately dyed leather strips wrapping around the stave of her bow, and Oriel had tassels of blue, red, yellow and green hanging from the horn tips of hers.

The sisters differed in other ways too; Tara was quiet and intense, Oriel was outgoing and curious. Yet they both could shoot, that I had to admit. And another mark in their favor was that Tara knew the spells to bind fire to her arrows, and Oriel could do the same with ice. I found this out on our first foray for the day. Oriel had hit the mark, a lone Fallen One, for the second time, and to the surprise of Kyleea and myself, it exploded into shards of ice that quickly melted into the ground, leaving no trace of the small demon.

Kyleea let loose a laugh. "There goes your first minion for the day," she joked, leaning on her javelin. The Sisters looked confused. "Just... hold off on the magics for a little while until the Priest here can summon h... his minions."

"Minions?" Oriel asked, looking at the golem, then at me. I threw a slight glare at Kyleea from the shadows of my helm, then turned my eyes to Oriel.

"With the grace of Lord Rathma I summon skeletal minions from the corpses of my enemies to fight at my side. Surely you have seen them when we have returned to the encampment during the past few days."

"Oh, right," the Rogue replied. "Oops. No corpse, no minion, right?" I gravely nodded. "So I'll hold off on the ice until you've got what you need." She gave a sunny smile, at odds with her war-like clothing and demeanor. "Minions. This is going to be a lot more fun than I thought."

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The day fell into a pattern as we worked out an efficient strategy. My minions would be the first wave of attack, with Kyleea and the Rogues picking off enemies at their leisure. Sometimes I had to run through a pack of monsters to get the 'boys' to fight, and so picked up a few cuts and bruises. A bad moment befell our party when Oriel was hit by a Fallen Shaman, causing her to stumble, and be swarmed by a group of the devilkin. Tara shot arrow after arrow into the pack as she raced forward to aid her sister, joined by Kyleea. I stood to the rear of the battle, and sent Bone Spears as fast as I could cast them into the air around the Rogues. Oriel clawed her way to her feet and was fighting with the long knife that every Sister carried; she didn't seem to care that she was surrounded and outnumbered, and she fought with the pure light of joyous battle in her eyes. Eventually the Fallen Ones were destroyed, and Oriel drank four healing potions before she was recovered.

"I know that the armor you wear is kind of a uniform for your Sisterhood, but do you think it would be all that bad if you put something more... protective on?" Kyleea asked as we cleaned up the fallen gold and items. Oriel and Tara shared a look, then Oriel spoke.

"I think... Kashya might protest, but I think that's a good idea." Going through the other items we had gathered that day, and using scrolls Akara had given us to identify the magical items, we managed to outfit the sisters with better armor and head gear. Neither of them would give up their bows for other weapons, though.

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The sun had set some time ago in the west when we decided to call an end to the day's campaign. Tara was the one who summoned the portal, but it was Oriel who asked a question. "Why don't you bring the boys with you at night?" Caught off guard I stood in silence for a moment.

"I do not wish to cause alarm in the camp with my minions running about of a night. They are ceaseless in their motion, even when I sleep."

"But doesn't it wear you out to cast them again and again?" she persisted. "Isn't it kind of a waste of magic?" Tara dusted the ashy remains of the used scroll from her palms and spoke for the third time that day; after introducing herself, and asking Oriel if she was all right after the fight with the Fallen Ones. Her voice was quiet and gentle.

"Don't worry about causing alarm. Oriel and I will spread the word that the boys won't not harm anyone." She gave a sweet smile. "They've proven their worth more than once today." She gestured to Oriel, and the pair stepped through the blue vortex, leaving me blinking in their wake.

"From pariah to asset - you've come a long way, Priest," Kyleea murmured, moving to stand beside me.

"Have I?" I returned. "Or am I just welcomed so long as I continue to kill monsters?" Kyleea swung her hand and slapped the back of it lightly against my shoulder.

"You have the trust of their High Priestess. These are religious women, Priest, which is something I think you know a little about. If Akara trusts you, so do they." She gave that saucy grin. "And you stopping the Fallen from killing Oriel did a little more to inspire it, I think." I shook my head.

"It was more your javelins and Tara's arrows that saved her, not I." Kyleea gave an exasperated sigh.

"Why are all priests so damn modest? You can shoot blind, fool, we had to make sure we didn't hit Oriel." Again she gave me that light backhand. "C'mon, there should be fresh stew up in the food tent." With that she stepped through the portal, leaving me a brief moment alone with my thoughts. _Had_ I changed from pariah to asset? The Sisters had not seemed worried at all about my abilities over the course of the day. Indeed, they had cheered on the 'boys', as they were now named, in every situation where they could save arrows. Well, Oriel had cheered. But that was not to say that the Rogues had just hung back; indeed, they had killed as many if not more of the enemy than I and Kyleea. I had done them a disservice in underestimating their talents for war. And perhaps I was underestimating their ability to see beyond the mythos and the stories of the Priests of Rathma, and see me as a companion and fellow fighter, not just a 'corpse botherer'. With that thought in mind, I passed through the portal.

Once again, I was notified that Akara wished to see me; this time I took it with better grace, stripping off helm and gloves as we crossed the encampment. Following the Amazon, and followed in turn by my minions, we arrived at the small peaked tent in the space set aside for the High Priestess. She greeted us serenely, but the topic of conversation was anything but.

"I have meditated long and hard upon it, and there is only one person in the world that can provide us with the knowledge we need, that you need, to face the heart of darkness and succeed. The Horadrim Elder, Deckard Cain." I saw Kyleea shudder out of the corner of my eye, and I turned my head to see that she was a ghastly shade of white. "You know him, or of him, yes?" the High Priestess murmured, also looking at the Amazon. Kyleea nodded.

"He... he lives in... Tristram." Akara nodded.

"Tristram has fallen, and Cain is in grave peril. You must save him, else his knowledge will be lost to us, and you will fail, for knowledge is a pivotal part of your armaments in the fight against this evil."

"I have to go back there?" Kyleea's voice was an awful whisper, full of torment and fear. "I have to go back?" I spoke to her, pitching my voice to soothe.

"But not alone." She turned her terror-wide eyes on me, and I found myself reaching out to grasp her arm. "I will be with you, I swear it." I turned back to Akara. "As I understand it, Tristram is many weeks travel to the west by foot. Would you loan to us horses to make the journey faster if we really must rescue this man?" Akara shook her head, and a smile curved her ancient mouth.

"I can do better than that. It may take you a few days of searching, but if you find the sacred Tree of Inifus and bring the symbols upon the bark to me, I can show you how to open the Portal Stones that stand within the Stony Field and create a portal to Tristram. You will travel there in moments, not weeks."

"I know of the Horadric Magi from my studies, but it was my understanding that they all perished. Are you certain that this man is truly Horadrim, and not just some charlatan pretending to the title?" Akara's smile widened and changed subtly.

"Deckard Cain is truly Horadrim. I... know him of old, and we have been friends for more decades than I care to count." Surprisingly, a slight blush crept up the woman's wrinkled cheeks, and I decided it was better not to ask.

"Very well. At your request, we shall attempt to rescue this man. But if this town has fallen, as you say, it may be that he is already dead." Akara shook her head.

"No, he is not." Her hand lifted and brushed the symbol of her faith that hung from her neck. "I know it."

I inclined my head in a gesture of respect. "As you will." I slung my pack down from my shoulders. "Whilst I am here..."

---------------------------------------------------

Again, Kyleea visited my tent when the rest of the encampment was abed. She sat down on the cold earth, still and quiet for a while. I waited, knowing that when she wanted to speak, she would. I put the time to use, rubbing oil into the joints of my armor after scouring out the rust that had crept in during the frequent rains. Finally, Kyleea spoke.

"I don't know if I can do this." I let the silence stretch for a moment, before I spoke. I pitched my voice to be low and gentle.

"Perhaps you could see this as an opportunity." She swung her face to look at me, her eyes too wide and her lips parted. "Not many get the chance to face what they fear in company." Kyleea blinked rapidly, her throat working. "I will take the Sisters with me when I go through the portal. Your javelin would be most welcome, but if you cannot do this thing, I do not wish you to suffer any further harm."

"You... You wouldn't think me a coward?" Her voice was husky in the darkness. I shook my head.

"You have faced this town once, why must you again?" I gave the last joint a final polish and set down the oily rag. "Besides, what matter what I think of you? The only opinion that should count is your own." I lifted my gaze to meet hers. "You still have a few days to decide, as we must still find the tree and the stones themselves." I leaned across and pressed my fingertips to the back of her hand. "What you must decide is if you can let this opportunity pass you by. But you do have time."

As she rose and walked away, I sent up a heartfelt prayer. _Oh my Lord, let me have done the right thing._ If I had simply asked it of her, Kyleea would have agreed to come to Tristram, as that was the kind of companion and party member she was. But she had to find the courage in herself to face this demon of hers, else she would feel less of a warrior for the rest of her days. I scrubbed my hands over my face, only then realizing that they still had oil on them. As I wiped the gleaming substance from my skin, I forced myself to think of other things. The choice was Kyleea's, and Kyleea's alone. I just hoped she would make the right one.


	5. Chapter V

_Author's note: Yes, I know, I promised, but I'm sorry! Extreme extenuating circumstances, your Honor:D Enjoy. I don't own Diablo, those wonderful, wonderful people at Blizzard do, and receive prayers from me on the Solstices._

I finished the cold milk and wiped my mouth on the back of my hand before handing the wooden mug over to the Sister who was running the mess tent today. She gave me a smile and a nod, and I had to admit that Kyleea's idea to take the Rogues with us for further training was having the unexpected side effect of softening the Sisters' automatic dislike for a... necromancer. _By Rathma_, I thought as I stepped into the dawn sunshine, _I hate that word!_ All priests of Rathma treated the word 'necromancer' as a curse word, a vile epithet.

My pack was loose and empty as I picked it up from the ground in front of my tent, but for the extra potions that were well packed in its outside pockets. I returned the morning greeting of Charsi the smith with a raised hand, then pulled on my gauntlets. Today was the day. Kyleea, myself, and a changing array of Rogues had spent the last six days scouring the wilderness between here and the Citadel of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye searching for the Tree of Inifus. It had then taken Akara a further two days to decipher the strange symbols on the piece of shaven bark Kyleea had lifted from the leafless giant, during which our party of four had sought out and destroyed the spirit of an evil Countess whom had been resurrected in a shattered tower deep in the Black Marsh. We had gained a great deal of gold from the cellars below the tower, so much so that to Kyleea's surprise I handed two thousand gold pieces over to Akara for the welfare of her people. I did it not to gain anything from the elderly priestess, but to follow the dictates of my Lord Rathma, and preserve the balance of the Great Cycle of Being. If one has much, one does not hesitate to aid those who have little or nothing, a category that the Rogues definitely fell into.

After the fall of their Monastery, the surviving Sisters had been lucky to escape with the clothes on their backs and the weapons in their hands. Thanks to the efforts of myself, Kyleea and the Rogues we were taking out with us, trade was starting to flow again now that there were items to trade and sell with the small communities to the west of the encampment. In these dark days, everyone had use for weapons, armor and healing potions. The Rogues were trading for livestock, foodstuffs and raw materials, and their encampment became a little more secure, a little more comfortable, day by day. As an unexpected bonus, some of the young women from the farms further to the west had come to the Rogue's Encampment, thinking that a life of warfare against the monsters was preferable to the toil of farm drudgery. Each of them had come before Akara, who simply looked at them for a moment, then told them whether or not they were suitable to become a Sister of the Sightless Eye. Perhaps two in three recruits were returned to their farms; the others were turned over to Kashya for training.

The Rogue general and I had made a wary peace of a sort. She neither sought me out nor spoke to me directly, both of which were fine with me. However Kyleea was much welcomed at the general's fire, something I did not begrudge. My evenings were given over to the upkeep of my gear, meditation prayer, and learning new magical skills, something I found I needed more and more as the days went on. The further we traveled towards the Rogues' fortress, the more violent and numerous the demons and monsters became. So too did the dead. Or rather, the ravened, partially eaten corpses of the former villagers that relied on the Monastery for protection, as well as the bodies of the other Sisters who had also ventured into the wilderness. The Rogues we had been taking with us had stopped at every body, removing an identifying signet, so that the Sisters in the encampment could know the fate of their comrades.

The portal glowed with its swirling blues and purples, shot through with white lightening as I approached. Tanya and Serene, companions from a previous day, stood before it, checking their bows and belt knives for any signs of wear that would be fatal. But Kyleea was no where to be seen. I closed my eyes for a heartbeat, swallowing the sigh that the Rogues would not understand. They greeted me with bravado, knowing that we were headed for the demon infested town of Tristram this day, and all but ignored my golem and skeletal minions. I greeted them gravely in return, secretly relieved at the acceptance my minions had received. It meant that I could save my magical energies for other applications. I was about to lead them through the portal when Kyleea arrived, javelins in hand and a determined expression on her face.

"Good morning," I said calmly. She nodded back, jaw set, but face pale.

"Let's do this," she said abruptly, plunging through the vortex. Tanya gave a Rogue war cry and followed, with Serene hard on her heels. I trailed after with a concerned frown. If she was this reckless, she was going to get killed, and possibly take the three of us with her. After a moment of disorientation, the Cold Plains area spread out before me. There were none of the small houses that were scattered around other areas, possibly because of the religious significance of the Cairn Stones. They loomed in the distance, five stones set in a circle. We had scouted the area around the Stones the evening before as dusk drew in, and set our portal some distance off. No grass grew inside the beaten earth of the ring, but around it was lush foliage and well established trees, waving gently in the early morning breeze.

Kyleea had taken off at a trot for the Cairn Stones, and I hastily followed, giving silent thanks for the boots that allowed me keep up without expending as much effort. As much as my travels had strengthened me, there was only so much I could do for my physical well being at the expense of time more well-spent studying and expanding my magical prowess. I caught up with the Amazon, my minions galloping around us. Serene and Tanya trailed behind us, protecting the rear. It only took us a few minutes to reach the Stones at the pace we kept, and once there, Kyleea immediately took out the scroll Akara had given us, detailing the order in which to activate the Stones to reach our target destination.

Akara had told us that once, long ago, there had been many of these Stones scattered throughout our world of Sanctuary. Different sequences opened portals to different destinations, but with so many of the Stones damaged or moved, the corridors of power were limited. The portal scrolls we used were the same magic, and had supplanted the need for the larger Stones, but needed a detailed knowledge of the intended destination to work. That was one failing the Stones overcame. Kyleea was studying the scroll, ensuring she triggered the correct portal when she activated the magics. Moving confidently, she slipped from stone to stone, and in her wake they glowed and crackled with white and blue lightening. The Amazon finished her circuit, and a ring of blue fire surrounded the bare earth at the center, and the woman within it. Lightening lanced at the sky, and with a booming, cracking noise a portal appeared. It was shot through with bloody reds and garish oranges, and the very look of it repulsed me.

My ears were ringing from the noisy discharge of power, and so at first, I didn't hear the crashing of steel and bone from a corpse of trees to the left of the circle. When Kyleea started towards me at a run, I blinked, then spun and watched in growing alarm as Fallen Ones, small red skinned demons, began pouring from the trees. They outnumbered my minions three to one, and as I lifted my arm to cast a spell, I noticed the larger shapes of at least four of their Shamans behind them, stalking back and forth as they muttered spells in a non-human tongue. If that wasn't bad enough, another figure came through the trees, lifting an axe and shrieking a war cry. It had the form of a Fallen One, but it's skin was blue and gold, and it carried an aura of menace that the bodies of its comrades lacked. It finally dawned on me that the creatures were crying a name as they ran towards us, 'Rakanishu!" I would have placed money on a bet that the blue and gold creature was this Rakanishu they followed.

I surrounded myself with a newly won skill, one that wove a thorny armor that swirled about my waist, not only protecting me from harm, but causing damage to my enemies as well when they approached. It was a relative of Bone Spear, which I cast now, aiming for the closest Shaman, who was resurrecting the Fallen Ones almost as fast as they were being killed. My magic was not the only one crackling through the air as the enemy lobbed fireballs and the Rogues added fire and cold arrows to the mix. The cries of the living and the dead filled the air with their din, mixing with the crashing sounds of steel meeting steel and bone.

The Rogues sprayed arrows arrows across the area as Kyleea charged in, a shrill war cry bursting from her as she lunged and danced with her javelins. With my energy concentrated on defeating the Shaman I was focused on, I did not notice the gang of demons fall upon her, limiting her field of fire and swinging their axes and rusty knives. Neither did the Sisters, as engaged as they were with avoiding the bodies that would suddenly come to life beneath their feet if they didn't watch where they stepped. It was only when my target fell, with the help of crossfire from a skeletal mage minion, that I noticed the perilous situation she was in.

Thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to gage the scope of the battle. Three Shamans left, raising the Fallen dead and striking out with fireballs; the Sisters starting to shoot at the demons swarming Kyleea; Kyleea using her javelin to jab at the smaller demons within her reach; my minions scattered, killing then moving on from the corpse, who promptly rose, screaming war cries to attack again. Kyleea couldn't get out of the swarm of small red bodies, and the arrows of the Sisters were only holding their ground - and that was because of Serene's cold enchanted arrows. When they hit their mark, the monster would glow an eery blue; be slow and stupid; and when they died, they would shatter. A fast glance saw that I only had one skeletal mage minion who was equipped with the power to cast glowing balls of blue white cold magic. I had to make a choice, and make it fast. I could burn my _mana_, my magical energy, trying to raise the enemy dead and transform them into bone mage minions before the Shaman's could, gaining more cold enchanted missiles. I could also burn my mana creating Bone Spears to try and clear the field around Kyleea, but the magic that would kill the most wouldn't hold the Fallen Ones down permanently. Or I could kill the Shamans; ensuring that the dead would stay down; and this had the added bonus - my skeletal crew seemed to be getting the idea of attacking what I was attacking. All these thoughts raced through my mind in the time it took to blink my eyes. Saying a silent prayer, I moved into a better position and concentrated my energies.

I poured my magic into creating Bone Spear after Bone Spear, hammering and hammering at one of the staff toting, taller red monsters; the Shaman seemed to ignore the onslaught for a moment, only grunting and swaying under the impacts. The he turned to stare at me, and even over the distance that separated us I could see his eyes. The fires of true madness and devotion burned there. He shifted, then cast a fireball across the open ground. I felt the heat of it burn for a moment before it hit me, then it exploded in a shower that set the grass alight, destroying part of the bony armor that surrounded me and singing some hair, but leaving me mostly intact. I continued to cast, happily surprised that both a fire minion and a poison minion were joining me in the attack. A skeleton armed with a sword and shield lunged in, slicing with undead precision. The Shaman toppled as the poison and magical energy destroyed him. Ignoring everything else for a moment, I shut my eyes and drew upon my magical stores fast, lifting a potion of mana from my belt in readiness. After expending the energy on Bone Spears, I only had one shot at this. I opened my eyes, focused on the Shaman's form, and forced a skeletal mage from his corpse. I gulped the potion down in one long draught, shuddering at the taste, and in the moment it took me to feel the rush of restored magical power, I glanced around the fight again.

Kyleea was now in real danger of being overwhelmed. Three Fallen Ones had approached Tanya, and now Serene was distracted by her Sister dropping her bow and drawing her knife to defend herself. Then I saw something extraordinary. She grabbed three of the special arrows from her quiver, setting one in her teeth. They were fletched in blue and had heavy, barbed heads, and they sparkled in the early morning light. Deftly, as if she did it all the time, she put two arrows to the string, and a swirl of blue, white and green raced through the air above her head, the sign her magic was working. Serene never seemed to aim; here was no exception, but both arrows flew true, one striking a small demon in the center of his back, another being taken in the neck. The third was in the air as the others were still in flight, and took the last full in the chest. There was only another fraction of a second to see the blue glow of the cold magic dancing over the demons, then they exploded in shards of ice and began to melt and Tanya took advantage of their weakened state to slice true and fast.

It had only been a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity until the tingling in my blood told me that my magical energy had been restored. Once again I forced out spear after spear, focusing now only on my target, one of the two remaining Shamans. The newly-fashioned cold mage turned and directed his fire as I did. Both of the tall red creatures were now alert to the danger, and with an intelligence most of their kind did not display, began to concentrate their fire power on me. Fireball after fireball crashed into my armor of bone, and I gritted my teeth and moved, trying to get out of their range. More and more damage was leaking through, causing the pain on a level I'd never felt before.

I was never taught in seminary or temple what the experience of being encased in quite a few pounds steel that is being rapidly heated by balls of fire was like. First it was almost like it got a little lighter, a little more flexible. Then the true pain started as the metal began to change color as it heated. Even through the heavy padding I wore to protect my skin and help absorb the weight of the armor, I could feel my skin begin to blister and I could smell my hair start to burn. Ignoring any hope of mounting a defense, one part of me hung on to casting the Bone Spears, as the other fumbled in the belt pouch, this time for a red potion, aptly and simply named, 'life'. I had to pause in my casting for a moment as I gulped it down, and when my eyes cleared for a second or two I saw we were only down to one left and that my armor was getting even hotter. I dived sideways, accepting the protest of fast healing flesh to avoid the last few fireballs. Two more skeletal swordsmen had joined the fight, and it looked like my minions were able to handle this one alone. In a desperate attempt to save himself, the Shaman swung a belt knife at one of my skeletons, but it was not enough.

As the corpse of the last visible Shaman crumpled to the ground the minions milled in apparent confusion for a moment, then shambled off to attack some more of the smaller demons. The tide of the battle turned now as the Fallen Ones seemed to be staying down when slain. I turned my attention to Kyleea, and saw that they were now made short work of the creatures that had sought her life. She broke through a gap in their ranks and raced a little way up a small hill. Making short, smooth casts, she killed and killed with one hand, while the other held a small red potion to her lips. Tanya and Serene helped her mop up, killing just as efficiently.

Yet some of the monsters were _still_ getting back up, and my head and eyes lifted to survey the distance, trying to guess where the rest of the enemy was. I caught a flash of movement behind a tree, and there they were, not one but two more Shaman. I struggled to my feet and took off, ignoring the heat drilling into me from the steel casing about my body. There wasn't really anything I could do about it until the armor cooled; until then it was just a distraction to ignore. This I kept telling myself as I felt more blisters rise and break. I forced a jog from my body, and brought the enemy into my range. There I fell to my knees. I did not need to stand to cast. I reached out again, one hand towards the enemy, the other fumbling with another potion.

Another healing and mana potion later, the fight quieted as the last of the Fallen Ones dropped to the earth. I was only mildly warm now, but the armor would need quite a bit of repair, and I heard both it and my bones creak as I stood up, then knocked the dirt and grass off my knees. A wary glance, followed by a longer, more searching one showed the clearing to be still and littered with splashes of gore and bodies. The blades of my minions and the fists of my golem were red with blood, and I noticed in a distracted way that I had lost a few skeletons in the fight. Kyleea was staring around, still primed for a fight. I stalked towards her, saying over and over to myself that I would not yell, I would be calm.

At the exact same moment we both shouted, "What the hell were you _thinking?_" We glared at each other.

"Where the hell _where_ you?" she demanded, striding over to stand close to me, veins corded in her neck.

"Where the hell was I? What were _you_ thinking, rushing in like that?" I waved a hand at Serene. "And you! Letting yourself get distracted in the middle of a fight!" I clenched my gauntleted hands into fists. A dull flush lit Kyleea's cheeks, but she was still shouting at me.

"But you just decided to leave me to fight it out, or die!"

I hissed back at her, "_You always kill the mages first, you fool!_"

Serene added her voice. "That's good advice, death mage." I turned my head to see Serene with another arrow set in her bow, and this one pointed at me. For a brief moment the world was washed in red as I fought against a tidal wave of fury. When I spoke, my voice was strangely flat and emotionless.

"Point that thing somewhere else before you force me to do something you'll regret, little girl." My eyes swung back to Kyleea, and I lost the fight to keep my tongue in check. "As for you. You endanger more than your own life with this suicidally reckless behavior. If this is how you will behave on the soil of Tristram, I do not want you any where near me." Tanya uttered a little gasp, and there was a creak in the silence as Serene pulled back a little more on her bow. My eyes were locked with Kyleea's, and for a long, long moment, no one spoke or moved. I whispered into that silence, but everyone heard me. "You have a chance to face your greatest fear, here, now, on this day. I do not want to send you away. But I will not let you cause my death." My gaze did not waver from Kyleea's as I added, "You won't get a chance to harm Serene, as I'm going to kill her myself if she doesn't lower that bow in the next five seconds."

Another moment of silence followed. The Amazon's voice was strained when she spoke. "You can be a right bitch when you want to be." My answer was sharp and immediate.

"I _am_ a bitch, _all_ of the time. Don't deceive yourself into thinking otherwise." Kyleea broke the eye contact with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.

"I'll behave," she said, moving away to inspect the treasures dropped by the slaughtered creatures. "Just don't expect me to like it." My gaze shifted to Serene, who was lowering her bow and turning away. I let it rest until we were finished gathering up the items and coins left by the dead monsters. Then I moved to stand next to the Sister, outwardly amiable.

I spoke in a low tone, for Serene's ears alone. "If you ever point a weapon at me again, I will feed your rotting corpse to the worms. Am I clear?" She turned her head to stare at me, and spoke bravely enough.

"If you kill me, my Sisters would avenge me." I smiled at her, a particularly unpleasant smile.

"Yes, but before I do feed the worms, there are all sorts of things I can do, things you couldn't begin to dream of." The smile got nastier. "And I would survive your Sisters' vengeance, believe me. So the next time you point a weapon in my direction, make it a good shot, and hope to your Sightless Eye that you kill me." With that I gave her a friendly nod and headed for the portal to Tristram.


End file.
